(Reuters) – Mulugeta Uma and Mestawut Fikir emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s races at the Paris Marathon on Sunday, marking Ethiopia’s first double win in the event in five years.
Uma completed the course in a time of 2:05:33, triumphing over Kenyan competitors Titus Kipruto and Elisha Rotich. Kipruto crossed the finish line 15 seconds behind Uma, while Rotich trailed by over a minute. Rotich had been considered the favorite prior to the race, having set the course record in 2021.
In the women’s competition, Fikir clocked a time of 2:20:45 in her debut marathon, narrowly defeating her fellow Ethiopian Enat Tirusew by just three seconds. Kenyan runner Vivian Cheruiyot secured the third spot on the podium.
The last time Ethiopia achieved a double win in the Paris Marathon was in 2019 when Abrha Milaw and Gelete Burka emerged as champions in the men’s and women’s races respectively.
Looking ahead, the men’s marathon at the Olympics is scheduled for August 10, followed by the women’s race the next day.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
